If Nothing Else
by Nightingale16
Summary: Gale Tayler is a pirate, born for the sea, but she's never actually sailed! Gale hasn't believed in Captain Jack Sparrow and the Black Pearl since she was a little girl. But when her father dies, she ends up on a voyage with the infamous Captain Jack Sp
1. Take Me Away

A/N: Hello to all you drooling fangirls who are completely obsessed with Johnny Depp just like me! ...which is probably the reason you people are reading this...it's pretty much the reason I'm writing this...so yea...anywayz...My name is Kayleen, or as my friends call me, Kay. I'm 16 years old completely obsessed with fanfiction. Who has no life? *points to self* Anywho..This is my first fanfic loaded on ff.net, but it's not my first writing attempt. I'm forewarning you people now that I'm not the best with grammar and I do misspell and make typos. I try very hard and I do proofread many times before I send things in. If I miss anything, feel free to tell me and I'll fix it the first chance I get. I hate reading something that hasn't been properly proofread, so I understand and am not offended if you kindly notify me of my mistakes. Well, I'm done for now! Any questions, just e-mail me. Oh, and please leave a review! And if for some reason your computer won't let you (_ like mine..), just e-mail it to me. I won't mind the extra mail! Later!  
  
Summary: Gale Tayler is a pirate, born for the sea, but she's never actually sailed! Gale hasn't believed in Captain Jack Sparrow and the Black Pearl since she was a little girl. But when her father dies, she ends up on a voyage with the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow himself!  
  
Warnings: This story _is_ rated R for a reason. There is language, though I try to keep that to a minimal, even with Gale's potty mouth. There will be sexual scenes. I won't go into complete detail, but you will get a good idea of what's going on. There will also be some gore, but not often.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl. I do not stake claim on any of the characters, plot, or anything from the original movie. The plot for this story is mine. And Gale Tayler, her father, and any other character not in the actual movie are mine. I will make a list of every character I have made up so you know at the end of each chapter.  


The italics in the beginning of most of the chapters, if not all, are when Gale, and maybe another character (in which case I'll let you know), are talking in first person. They aren't actually speaking, it's more like thoughts. The italics in "quotes" are actual thoughts. What the person is thinking then.

This story takes place between 2 and 3 years after the movie ends.  
  
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_Captain Jack Sparrow. I'd heard stories of him as a young girl. My father bathed me in tales of the infamous pirate. I could write a book with all the farfetched and ridiculous things he told me about him and the Black Pearl. When I was younger, just a child, I used to believe in him. I'd dream that I would meet him one day and we would sail the sea together. In a way, he had become everything I wanted to be. But, as it always goes, I grew up and grew out of him. I had stopped believing he existed, much to my father's dismay._

I was born on the sea, but I grew up on land. After my mother died from giving birth to me, my father somehow managed to reinstate us into society. So yes, I am a pirate, but I can't remember ever sailing the sea. I've longed to sail the sea. I've yearned for that freedom. But one cannot sail without a crew. I may not have ever sailed, but my father would sneak me on ships and show me how they worked. He'd show me pictures, drawings, anything he could get his hands on. He dreamed of returning to the sea one day, showing me all its wonders. Fate, it seemed, had other plans.

"Papa!" Cried a young woman as she ran to her father, who fell to the ground.She reached him as he hit the floor and she sank to her knees beside him, encasing him in her arms, her long and lush skirts pillowed around them. Tears streamed down her flushed cheeks as she watched her father bleed to death from the gun wound in his chest. Frantically, she ripped off large chunks of cloth from the end of her skirt and, wadding them together, placed them on his wound._  
_"Gale." The woman's head turned to face the old man as he spoke to her, his voice raspy and weak. "Gale, my darling Gale." Gale's lips quivered as she tried to suppress more tears caused by his endearment. She placed her fingers over his lips to keep him from speaking more.

"Hush, Papa. You need to save your strength." The old man lifted his shaky hand, covered in his own blood, and cupped her cheek gently. Gale held his hand to her cheek with hers as a wave of fresh tears poured down her cheeks. All too suddenly, she felt herself being yanked roughly away from her father and thrown into the nearest wall. She felt the breath in her lungs escape in a large woosh. She barely had time to breathe before her assailant grabbed her chin in a bruising grip and forced her to look at him. When she saw his face she had to hold back the urge to vomit from the hideousness of it. A good amount of his teeth were missing and the ones that were still there were black and rotted. He had a jagged scar going down his left eye, which was clouded over showing that he was blind. His beard and mustache were unkempt and she could spot pieces of food trapped inside the knots.

"Well, well. What 'ave we got 'ere? A pre'ey girl, ya are." Gale grimaced from the stench of his breath as he breathed on her while speaking. She struggled to break free from his grasp but to no avail.

"Get off me, you filthy pig!" Gale screamed in his face as she continued to try to get away from him. The man, which she guessed was a pirate, threw on a mock expression of hurt.  
"There's no need te be eny name callin', missy. I jist want te get te know ye better." The pirate pulled out a knife from somewhere on his belt and Gale's struggling doubled in effort.

"Get off! Somebody help me!," she screamed. "Help! He-" Gale's cries were cut off as the pirate placed his grimy hand on her mouth to silence her. She tried to get her mouth free, not just to scream for help again, but to free herself from the stench and the greasy filth he seemed to be covered in. The man placed the knife at the center of the neckline on her dress and began to slowly cut downward. Gale closed her eyes and whimpered into his hand as tears continued to pour down her cheeks, silently praying for help.

Gale jumped as she heard a gun shot and then shrieked as she felt a pain between her breasts. She opened her eyes wide in time to see the man attacking her fall to the ground with his eyes wide in shock, blood pooling slowly beneath him. She felt something pull out of her where she felt the pain. She looked down and noticed that blood was seeping down her dress. Glancing down at the knife in the pirate's hand, she saw blood on the first half inch of the blade. It was a minor wound. It hurt, but she would survive.

She looked up to find the person that saved her and nearly cried out in despair. There, in her open doorway, was yet _another _pirate. He stood there looking indifferent, gun in hand, still pointed at the other pirate as if he would jump up any moment. He was handsome, unlike the other pirate. Rugged, yet clean. He had dark brown hair, almost black, that fell over his shoulder and back. There were beads braided in here and there. He had deep brown eyes that were still focused on the dead man at her feet. His face was beautiful with high cheekbones and lips that she could kiss. He had a well-kept mustache and a beard that was kept in two ponytails. His skin was a dark tan from being in the sun. He looked up at her so suddenly that she jumped slightly. She watched as he slowly put the gun away, all the while keeping eye contact with her. She managed to tear her eyes from his and they landed upon her dying father. For fear that he might have already died, she ran to him quickly and collapsed beside him, hugging him to her.

"Tor...tuga. Find....Cap'n...J...ck...Spar....row." She looked at him in confusion. 

"But Papa, Jack Sparrow isn't real. He doesn't exist." Her father just smiled and closed his eyes. 

"I love you, my darling Gale. Sail the sea for me." Gale nodded, lower lip quivering as his breathing stopped and he fell limp in her arms. Her breath hitched in her throat as she watched him draw his last breath. 

"Papa?" she asked as she shook him gently, trying to rouse him. "Papa?" she asked again, her voice heightened with panic. When he didn't reply, a cry caught in her throat and came out little more than a choked sob as she clutched his lifeless body to her, rocking back and forth. "Papa! Don't leave me! I love you, Papa! Don't go! Don't die, Papa! Please, I love you! Don't go..." Eventually, her cries dwindled down to hiccupy sobs. The pirate that had helped her watched with a sympathetic and sad expression. Slowly, he walked up to her and gently placed his hands on her shoulders so as not to startle her. He began to slowly pull her away from her father's body.

"Come now, love. We best be goin'. We don't want te be caught unawares. There'll be more jist like that one over there comin'. Come on, up ye go." He managed to coax her up onto her feet, even if most of her weight was supported on him. For Gale, his voice was soothing, lulling her away from the pain. She allowed him to take her out of that room, out of that house. When they stepped outside her doorway, she saw her home in almost complete ruin. Pirates were running all over, looting houses and burning everything in sight. Some pirates were attacking others, which she assumed the others were with the one who saved her. She heard someone cry captain and she looked in that direction. There was a man who was much older than the one holding her now. He was motioning some of the other pirates to a ship. She looked at the ship they were filtering into and she stared in awe, mouth agape at its beauty. The whole ship was the most pitch black she had ever seen, from top to bottom.

"The Black Pearl," Gale whispered, barely audible. It didn't take her long to realize they were walking towards it. Before she knew it, she was stepping aboard the Black Pearl. She slowly looked around, taking it all in. "She's beautiful." She watched as the man holding her shouted orders to the other people on the ship. _"So he's the captain."_ When he stopped, they turned and he walked her down into the lower deck and then into a room. It was dark but she managed to make out a few things. There was a shaggy looking bed, but comfy and inviting in a way. A small little desk with a candle sitting on top of it. He left her side to light the candle and she felt suddenly cold. She had grown accustomed to his arms wrapped around her, keeping her safe and warm. She wrapped her arms around herself to keep herself warm, but it didn't work as well as she had hoped. 

He turned around after he had lit the candle, and for the first time since he had seen her, took in everything about her. The front of her lush blue dress was almost completely soaked in blood. The top was torn from the other pirate's knife and he could see the wound she received when the man stabbed her. Blood was caking over the side of her face, over her entire chest, and her arms. Her long, dark, curly brown hair was tangled and clinging to her skin from all the blood. Her dark brown eyes her red and puffy from crying. Prying his eyes away from her, he walked over to her and behind her. Confused, she looked behind her to see what he was going to do and nearly screamed when she felt him untying the back of her dress. The man felt her jump and placed his hands on her shoulders and slid them down to her upper arms. 

"Calm down, love. I'm only tryin' to get ye out of these dirty clothes an' inte somethin' cleaner." When Gale said nothing in protest, he slowly started to undo the ties in the back of her dress again. After he realized she wasn't going to slap him silly, he continued until he could slide the dress off. She stepped out of it slowly and he tossed it in the corner. "Well, ye won't be wearin' that again." Gale managed a shaky smile. She looked down and realized she was only in her undergarments. Ashamed at her state of dress, or lack thereof, she attempted to cover her bosom with her arms. Noticing her nervousness, he quickly walked over to the little desk and pulled out a shirt from one of the drawers. Pulling off his large coat, he threw that and the shirt onto the bed. 

"Ye can wear me shirt an' me coat fer now till we can get ye somethin' fer yerself. I'll be comin' back down in a little with some food fer ye an' somethin' to clean ye up. Feel free te make yerself at home." With that, he walked out past her and towards the door, but he was stopped by a hand on his arm.

"Wait, I don't even know who you are. Tell me your name at least." The man look at her hand and let his eyes slowly trail up her feminine but strong arm, over her smooth neck, and then her face. He looked in her eyes, gazing into them for a few moments like he was searching for something. Gale looked away for a few moments, uncomfortable with him staring at her like that, but quickly looked back into his eyes when she heard him answer.

"Jack Sparrow. Captain Jack Sparrow."


	2. Our First Night Together

Thanks to all my reviewers!!  
  
Nika-chan, Twilight Tsukasa, JaskSparrowFan, Stokely, Dixiehnsnluver, Penguine, Dazzle, and Rouge Sparrow: Thank you so much!

Blackrose: I wasn't really going to elaborate on the pirate that killed him, but since you mentioned it my wheels have been aturnin'! :)

Isabelle Gibson and Mrs. Sparrow: Me too! I love his crazy walk in the movie!

DarkAngelB: It definitely threw her for a loop!

Sulwen of Great Smials: I fix what I notice, so if I miss something I'm terribly sorry! I'm going to try and update every day!

Cursed Pirate: Don't worry, you'll find out! :) All in good time.

Kalithja: Thank you! She'll reveal her age in teh story around chap. 3. I hate saying things like that outside of the story unless I have to.

cOOkiMoNsteR626: I was more leaning towards her being a pirate by blood. She bears the tattoo on her wrist (which I believe is a P, if I remember correctly from the movie), as you'll find out in chap. 3. She believes in her heart that she's a pirate even thought, as you said, she is not. Sorry for that and thank you for bringing it to my attention.

NightShadow12: Thank you, hun! :) 

To forewarn everyone, I will be doing a lot of work tomorrow, so if I don't submit the third chapter by the end of the day (which is thursday), It will be there by friday night or saturday morning/afternoon. Sorry for the delay, and thanks again to _all_ my reviewers. :)

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"Jack Sparrow. Captain Jack Sparrow."

His words still rang clear in Gale's head. For years, she had denied that Captain Jack Sparrow and the Black Pearl existed. Yet here she was, sitting in Captain Jack Sparrow's bed on his ship, the Black Pearl. As a child, she dreamed that they would sail all the seas together, and now it was finally happening. After so long, so many years, she would finally be a true pirate. She smiled sadly, a tear escaping her eye, when she remembered her father. He was supposed to be here with her. Everything comes with a price, it seems.

She was still wearing nothing but her underclothes. She didn't want to change into the only clean clothing she would have for awhile when she still had blood all over her. She pushed apart the cloth where it had been torn and looked at the wound that filthy pirate had given her. Blood was clotting slowly around the wound, but some still made it's way sluggishly through the cut. It was red and swollen, and when she touched it, it ached.

"I wouldn't touch that too much if I was ye." Gale jumped at the voice, but relaxed when she saw Jack standing there in the doorway. He was holding a bowl of steaming water with a rag over his wrist in one arm, and a tray with some bread, cheese, and wine in the other. He walked over to her and set the tray of food on the little desk, then he took the rag off his wrist and wetted it in the steaming water. Setting the water bowl on the floor next to him, he gently cupped her chin in his hand as he began to clean her face off. He worked his way through her hair, down her neck and arms. When he reached her chest he hesitated. He may be a pirate, but he had some standards. He looked up at her, questioning her with his eyes, and she nodded numbly. Her face was blank, void of emotion, but he could see what should have been there. 

He started to slowly clean the blood from her collarbone, trying to avoid the inevitable. Why he was so nervous was beyond him. He'd been with other women before, whores and the like, but, for some reason, he couldn't get himself to clean this woman's breasts. _"For God sakes, Jack! Ye're barely touchin' the gal."_ Jack steadied himself and, with shaky hands, he began to clean the top of her breasts. _"There. That wasn't so hard. Nothin' that Captain Jack Sparrow couldn't handle."_ Jack pulled back the cloth of her shift where it had been torn and had to force himself to swallow past the lump in his throat. Just one more inch and he'd be face to face with her bosom. He could feel the swell of her breasts brush against his knuckles. He was also beginning to feel a bit tight a little south of his belt. Jack shifted slightly to hide the growing bulge between his legs before he continued on to clean her wound.

When Jack wiped the wet cloth over the wound he felt her jump and clasp his forearm tightly in her small but strong hands. He looked up at her face and saw her grimace of pain and her eyes well up with tears. Pulling his arm from her grasp, he sat on the bed next to her. He pulled off his hat, revealing an old and faded red bandanna wrapped around his head, and handed it to her. When he saw her puzzled look, her offered an explanation.

"Ye need te have that nasty cut cleaned or it'll get infected an' hurt ye more. Hold on te me hat te help with the pain. Tis' already a scrap o' leather, so it won't hurt it if ye squeeze it a wee bit." Jack smiled at her, which she returned, and she took his hat and held it in her lap. When she nodded for him to continue, he started to clean her cut again, but more gently this time. She didn't jerk away, but he could see her mangling his poor hat every once in awhile. When he was finished he plopped the bloody rag back into the now red water bowl. Looking at her, he noticed some tears falling down her now clean cheeks. Lifting a hand, he brushed them away with an almost caring sort of tenderness. She looked at him then, really looked at him, through those thick, dark lashes and smiled at him. It was a genuine smile, and she wore it beautifully. He couldn't help but smile back at her.

"Thank you," he heard her whisper. "Thank you for everything. For saving me, and for helping me. Now that my father is dead, I-" He heard her voice choke and saw another tear fall down her cheek, which he quickly brushed away. He couldn't bear to see her so pitiful and in pain.

"Hush, love. It twas nothin' any self-respectin' pirate wouldn't do for a nice young lass such as yerself." Taking one of her hands in his, he stood up, taking her with him. He looked at her and saw her smiling at him. 

"Well, Captain. In case you've forgotten, I haven't had much luck with pirates, save you and your crew." 

"Call me Jack, and that twasn't a pirate. That twas a filthy scaliwag who gallivants around like the fool he is, _callin'_ 'imself a pirate." Jack turned to the desk and pulled some stripped cloth out of the bottom drawer. Gale laughed at him, her voice light and happy for the first time since they had met.

"I'll try to recognize the difference next time I meet another one like him, so I don't make the same mistake twice." Jack smiled at her, happy to see her no longer reminiscing on what happened only a few hours ago. Then he made a mock stern look at her and shook his finger at her.

"That ye better. I'll tolerate no more mistakes like that one." She laughed again, and he couldn't help but chuckle when she mock saluted him.

"Yes, Captain!" He chuckled again before he unwound the ball of stripped cloth and found the middle of it.

"Now, ye're goin' te 'ave te take off that filthy thing so I can dress that wound of yers." When Jack noticed her eyes widen and saw her arms shoot up to cover her poorly concealed breasts, much to his disappointment, he quickly explained the rest. "Now, now. Don't be gettin' all excited. I'm gonna close me eyes an', while I'm tellin' ye how te wrap it, ye're goin' te move me hands where they should an' away from where they shouldn't, if need be, savvy?" Gale nodded, and swallowed her nervousness. "I'm goin' te close me eyes now, an' when ye take off yer," Jack, not being knowledgeable in woman's clothing, struggled for the word to call the top of her shift, "yer top, I'm goin' te hand this piece o' cloth te ya an' ye're goin' te put this middle part 'ere on the top o' yer shoulder."

As promised, Jack closed his eyes and held out the piece of cloth for her when she was ready to take it. Quickly, she slipped her arms out of the sleeves and let the top part fall around her waist. She snatched the cloth out of his hand and he couldn't help but smirk at her nervousness. Gale threw the one end of the cloth behind her and placed the middle over her shoulder.

"Alright, now what?" Jack smiled and held his hands up in front of him.

"Now, ye guide me to yer side an' put a piece o' cloth in each o' my hands so I can cross 'em." Gale did as she was told. After setting his hat on the bed, she put her hands on his elbows and guided him till he was standing at her side facing her. Then, she put the left cloth in his left hand, but when she tried to reach for the other one she couldn't.

"Jack, I can't reach the other one." Cautiously, Jack placed his hand on her side a little below her breasts which cause Gale to jump. He moved his hand over her side and back repetitively until he found the cloth. Gale shivered a bit from his touch. She could feel little sparks underneath her skin wherever his skin met hers. When Jack found the other piece of cloth, he crossed them and slowly trailed over where the cloth had already wrapped in between her breasts. He then crossed them at her shoulder and trailed back down. He then did the same thing, only this time he went around her ribcage, just below her breasts. Gale's breathing had become shallow and slightly quickened while Jack was finding that his pants were becoming awfully tight again. After he had wrapped it a third time, he tied it quickly in two knots. Jack cleared his throat to try and dissipate some of the tension before he took a few steps away from her, eyes still closed tightly.

"Well, I'll leave ye te change inte some clean clothes then." Jack turned and took a step forward right into the door frame causing him to stagger back a few steps. "Bloody hell!" he heard Gale trying to stifle a few giggles behind him.

"Jack! My goodness, are you all right?" Jack shook his head a little to try and quell the dizziness.

"Aye, jist got a wee bet ahead of meself there." Jack then threw a withering glare at the door frame. "Damn door," he muttered before he stalked out of the room and closed the door behind him, Gale's amused laughter still tickling his ears.

Once Jack had closed the door, Gale quickly wiggled her way out of her shift and threw on the shirt Jack had given her earlier. It was far bigger than her with the bottom hem reaching only a little above her knees, the sleeves swallowing up her hands, and the neckline plunging dangerously low. Thankfully, when she turned around she spotted his large coat laying on the bed. When she picked it up it was heavier than she expected, but when she put it on she realized it was very warm and it covered her bosom where the shirt did not. She sat down on the bed and wrapped her arms around herself, reveling in the warmth of the coat and the scent that was Jack Sparrow. It smelled like the sea, wild and untame, yet calming and peaceful.

A low rumble, like a growl, filled the room and she looked down at her stomach. The day's events had finally caught up with her and she was tired and hungry. Remembering the tray of food on the desk, she reached over and picked up a piece of bread and began eating it hungrily. Since no one was there watching her and expecting her to act like a proper lady, there was no reason to eat like one. Setting what was left of the bread back on the tray, she picked up the glass of wine to wash it down. Lifting the cup to her lips, she took a few large gulps of the tart drink before gasping for air. She wiped her mouth on her forearm and looked down into the cup and froze. She screamed shrilly as she dropped the glass, still full of wine, to the ground, watching as it shattered and spilled all over the floor. It was red wine. Red as blood.

Blood. Flashes of her father bleeding all over the ground and her dress. She saw the blood flowing beneath the pirate who had attacked her. Her own blood staining her dress, her hair and skin saturated with it. The once clear water from the water bowl and the clean rag now red from her and her father's blood. All these images swam through her mind over and over again before she was overwhelmed. Dropping to the floor on her hands and knees, she retched all the food and drink she had just consumed.

"Where to, Captain?" Jack took a glance at his first mate before returning his gaze to the sea.

"Tortuga," Jack replied.

"Aye, aye, Captain!" Jack was busy commanding his ship and taking glances at the sea when he heard a tiny crash and a woman's scream. Fear ran up his spine in the form of a chill. Faster than a bullet, he spun around and dashed down the stairs to his room, nearly breaking down the door on his way in. There he was met with the sight of Gale, hunched over on all fours, coughing and gasping for air over a puddle of her own vomit. He looked past her to see the glass of wine shattered and all over the floor. 

Jack made his way over to her and knelt beside her on one knee. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he stood up and pulled her up along with him. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and cradled her head in the crook of his neck, turning her so she was facing away from the mess in the room. Tenderly, he rubbed a hand up and down her back to soothe her, whispering calming words in her ear, till her crying was no more than a hiccup and a sniff here and there.

"There there, missy. Now, tell me what has ye all in a fuss an' makin' a mess of me room, eh?" Gale took a few breaths to calm herself down. She lifted her head to look at him as she spoke. They were so close their noses were just barely touching.

"The...wine...red...," Gale's voice began to choke, so she took a few more breathes before she spoke again. "Red...blood...father." Realization dawned on Jack's face and he made an 'o' shape with his lips, silently saying 'oh'. Gale had begun to cry again so he scrambled for something to say to keep her from crying.

"Well, I certainly hope it twasn't blood," When Gale looked up at him quizzically, only sniffing now, he took that as a hint to continue. "cause I've been drinkin' it for a few days now. I may be's a pirate, but that's jist a little weird. Makes me stomach all queasy jist thinkin' 'bout it." Jack made a mock disgusted expression and was rewarded with a laugh from Gale. "Now, let's get ye ...te...." Jack trailed off as he saw Gale's eyes drift shut and her lips press lightly against his. Jack was a bit stunned at first, but he quickly overcame that and gently kissed her back. When she didn't put up a fuss, he slid his hand into her dark curls and wrapped his hand around the back of her neck. Needless to say, he was a bit shocked when she made the most hideous sound in her throat and pushed him into the wall, slapping him square on the cheek. 

"Well, I don't know if I deserved that," Jack mumbled before her shook his head to clear it from the jostling her smack had given it. It took him a few moments before realizing she was screaming at him.

"How dare you!" Jack gave her a look that was asking her if she was joking.

"Are ye mad, woman?" One look at those angry eyes, and Captain Jack Sparrow nearly wet his breeches.

"What kind of man are you? Taking advantage of me like that! I've obviously had too much to drink and am not capable of realizing my actions. If you're the honorable pirate you claim to be, you would have discontinued the kiss and left the room!" 

"What the devil are ye talkin' about? First o' all, ye done spilled the whole glass all over the floor! Second o' all, I never said I twas an honorable pirate. An' third, if I had known ye was goin' te make such a fuss, I wouldn't 'ave kissed ye back in the first place!"

"How dare you call me a liar! Are you saying you didn't want to kiss me? Are you saying I'm undesirable?"

"Stop twistin' me blasted words around, woman! If ye'd stop yer yellin' for a bloody minute I'd-" Jack was cut off when Gale slapped him yet again, but this time across the other cheek.

"My name is Gale, _Captain_ Jack Sparrow, and a woman does not yell! She speaks irrationally!"

"Sure as hell sounded like yellin' te me," Jack managed to mumble before he nearly got his eyes taken out by his own hat. "Bloody hell, woman!"

"Gale!" Jack glared at her and she responded with her own withering glare.

"_Gale!_ Stop throwin' things about like a mad-woman!" Jack nearly jumped out of his boots when she let out the shrillest scream. It sounded more like a dying animal, but he dared not say that out loud. 

"Out!" She stalked up to him and roughly shoved him out the door, slamming it promptly in his face. After he regained his balance and composure he put his hat back on. 

"Thank the seas that I'm away from that evil wretch." Jack went to walk back up the stairs when he realized he had just been kicked out of his own room. "Now, wait jist a minute 'ere," Jack said just as he opened up the door. "Now, listen 'ere, woman. This 'ere be _my_ room ye be in and," he continued, fully intending to give Gale an earful. 

"OUT!" That was, until a tray of half-eaten food was coming straight for his head. Jack quickly closed the door just as the tray slammed right into it. Jack stared at the door in surprise and fear for a few moments before he backed away slowly.

"Well, _twas_ me room, anyway." The door whipped open and Jack jumped back a few steps and put his hands in the air.

"And my name is _Gale_ _Tayler_! Learn it!" The door slammed shut again and Jack decided to make a quick getaway before she decided to come out and choke him with his own hair. When he reached the top of the stairs he was greeted with a majority of his crew standing there with knowing smirks on their faces. Clearing his throat, he adjusted his hat and his shirt.

"What are ye starin' at! Get back te work, ye filthy dogs!" With that final statement, Jack Sparrow walked away in search of a vacant quarters for him to sleep that night.


	3. Getting to Know You

Hello, everyone! :) 7/17/03

I'm going to try and reply to every review I get, but sometimes I miss some. If I haven't replied to your review, I'm terribly sorry. Please be patient, you'll most likely see a reply in the next chapter I submit. Speaking of which, here are some reviews from the prologue that I missed.

Killer Queen: Thank you! And Johnny Depp IS DEFINITELY HOTT!!

Iarejedi: Thank you! I'm going to try for at least every other day, but so far I've put a chapter up every day, so we'll see how long that lasts.

EmeraldSeraph: Thank you! I run into that a lot, too! I'm glad you like it! Yea, sometimes I skip ahead when I'm reading and _then_ go back and read the rest. I'm anxious to get to that part too, but I have so many ideas that it'll just have to wait. I'll try my hardest to please! :)

Here are some from my first chapter:

Kalithja: Don't worry! Jack gets a little pay back in this chapter and the next few!

Special thanks to NightShadow12 for talking with me hours on end and staying up till the wee hours of the morn to help me write. Thanks for your ideas and help with this chapter especially! I love you, hun!

Thank you again to _all_ my reviewers! You keep the creative juices flowing! I can't wait for more reviews! :)

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The next morning, somewhere before dawn, Jack was rudely awakened by something hitting his face. Opening his eyes, he came face to knot with a rope. It continued to whip him across the nose with the sway of the boat. Sighing, he stood up using the barrel he had been sleeping against as a support. He twisted this way and that, cracking his back and stretching his muscles. Sleeping on a hard wooden floor is stressful for the body.

"Blasted female," Jack muttered before he made his way down the stairs and to the lower deck. He opened the door to his room, fully intent on giving her a piece of his mind, but was stopped dead in his tracks at the sight that greeted him. There, on his bed, lay Gale sleeping peacefully. She had curled herself under his coat so that the only things peeking out were her head, hands, and toes. He hair was dry and had become wild looking. The lengthy brown tresses spilled out over his pillow and hung over the side of the bed. She lay on her side, knees tucked tightly to her chest. He watched as she breathed evenly through slightly parted lips.

He walked up to her, moving quietly so as not to wake her. He didn't want to take the chances of facing her wrath or hearing her God awful screaming again. He stood by the edge of the bed for a few seconds, taking it all in. This would probably be the only time she wouldn't be screaming or throwing things at him, so he was enjoying the moment. Leaning over, he brushed a stray tendril away that had fallen over her face while she slept.

Looking around the room, he noticed that someone had come in the room after he had left and cleaned up all the spilt wine, glass, and vomit from the floor. Her bloody dress and undergarments had been taken out. It appeared as if last night had never happened, save for the sleeping evil on his bed. 

"Time te wake up, love," Jack said, trying to wake her gently. Gently, unsure at first whether or not he should, he planted a chaste kiss on her forehead. She responded with a few incoherent mumbles before she rolled over, her back now facing him. After realizing his first approach hadn't worked, Jack walked to the end of the bed and put his hands underneath the mattress. "Up ye go, missy. Days a-wastin'!" With that said, Jack flipped the mattress, sending Gale rolling to the floor in a heap of limbs and cloth. Quite satisfied with his work, he smiled and sauntered out of the room, Gale staring dumbly at his back. Jack didn't hear any screaming until he had reached the upper deck, and by then he had reached safe grounds. At least, for now, anyway.

After the screaming had finally died down, he turned around just in time to see Gale emerge from below. She was glaring at him with a face any other man would cower beneath, he was sure. But he was not just any other man. He was _the _Captain Jack Sparrow, and he'd be damned if he let a woman push him around on his own ship. Well, anymore than she already had. He simply returned her glare with a seemingly innocent smile. The smile dropped from his face quickly when Gale stalked up to him, shoving her finger in his face.

"What you just did, _Captain_, was completely uncalled for! You could have simply just shook me awake." Jack stared cross-eyed at the finger in his face before pushing it aside with his hand.

"If ye'll recall, love. I did try a gentle awakenin', but ye be the one that slept through it." Jack smirked triumphantly as he watched her chest puff up in anger. He was starting to enjoy watching her get flustered. She was pretty when she was angry, if she wasn't throwing things at him, that is.

"Are you insinuating that I am lazy?" Dropping the smirk, Jack feigned an indifferent look. 

Shrugging, he replied, "Maybe."

"How absurd! I am most certainly _not_ lazy, Captain Jack Sparrow. I was merely overwhelmed with, with," Gale began waving her hands about as she searched for the word she was looking for. While she was doing that, Jack thought he caught a glimpse of something on her right wrist. His eyes went wide as he recognized what it was and silently cursed himself for not noticing it before. "with everything that has happened in the past twenty four hours! I'm exhausted and-"

"A pirate." Gale stopped her ranting for a moment to look at Jack quizzically, who was staring intently at her.

"What?" she asked. His staring was beginning to make her uncomfortable.

"A pirate." Gale looked at him as if he was losing his mind.

"Are you daft? Of course you're a pirate!" Jack took a step closer to her. The urge to step away from him was becoming difficult to ignore for Gale. His staring and sudden change in demeanor was frightening her.

"No," he said before he roughly grabbed her right wrist in his, holding it in a vice-like grip. "You, Gale." Gale's eyes widened and she tried to get away from him, but his grip only tightened.

"I-I don't understand what you're talking about." Gale's protests were ended when Jack pushed her into the nearest wall, keeping her from getting away.

"Don't play games with me. I saw the mark on yer wrist, an' I want te know what else ye're hidin' from me." Gale glared at Jack, despite the fear welling up inside her.

"I never hid a thing from you. You just never bothered to ask." Gale held her breath, waiting for his response. 

"Well, now I'm askin' ye," Jack said as he turned away, freeing her from his grasp, and back to the helm. "How did ye manage te get that tattoo?" Gale let out a breath she wasn't aware she was holding before she walked past him and leaned against the edge of the ship. 

"My father was a pirate." Jack turned to look at her with a surprised expression.

"Ye don't say?" Gale glared at him.

"When he found out that my mother was pregnant with me, he found some way to slip himself back into society without anyone knowing a single thing. He did it all right under their noses. Either that, or he bribed someone high up. My mother died giving birth to me." Jack looked at her with sympathy.

"I'm sorry for yer loss," he said. He was surprised when Gale just smiled.

"Don't be. I never knew her, so it was hard for me to miss her. I always wondered what it would be like to have a mother, but my father was enough. I didn't need anything else."

"When did ye find out? That ye was a pirate, I mean."

"I've known what I am my whole life, but I didn't get this tattoo until I was twelve. My father gave it to me for my birthday. He did it himself. That was when he promised me that he would take me out to sea one day, and we'd never come back. As you can see, plans have changed." Jack noticed the change in her voice so he quickly changed the subject.

"How did ye manage te hide it from all them rich folk?" Gale shrugged, and he could see the pain recede slowly from her eyes.

"Gloves and a lot of face powder." Jack chuckled and Gale smiled at him.

"So, Gale, how old are ye?" Jack asked as he took a swig from a bottle of rum he had lying next to him.

"I'll be twenty one in a week." Jack promptly spit the rum out of his mouth and turned to her in disbelief.

"T-twenty one?" Gale raised an eyebrow as he stuttered with the number.

"Yes, that's what I said. Twenty one in a week. Is there something wrong with that?" Jack shook his head before he turned away. Taking another gulp of his rum, he pondered that over in his mind. He had originally thought she was sixteen or seventeen, but twenty one? The thought had never crossed his mind. He decided to say something quickly before she started thinking he was crazy.

"It's nothin'. It's jist that ye're a bit old te be startin' te sail only now."

"I beg your pardon! For your information, Captain, I do know how to sail a ship. My father showed me how." Jack set the bottle down and turned to her. 

"That may be so, but tis a wee bit different when the ship actually be movin'." Gale scoffed at him, but he only turned back to the helm, choosing to ignore her.

"I _can_ sail a ship and I'll prove it to you!" With that said, Gale marched up to Jack, pushed him to the side, and took hold of the helm. Before Jack could stop her, she jerked the ship sharply to the right. Composing himself quickly, he pushed her away from the helm and jerked them to the left and back on course before any real damage could be done. When he was assured that all was well, he straightened up in anger and turned to Gale.

"Bloody hell woman! Are ye tryin' to kill us all?" Jack screamed, but Gale only rolled her eyes.

"Alright, so it's a little different when you're actually steering the damn thing."

"Bloody right it's different!" Jack turned back to the helm and wrapped his arms around it, petting it gently in smooth, rhythmic circles. "Tis all right, my darlin'. She won't hurt ye again, I promise ye." Jack turned to her, glaring, but Gale only rolled her eyes again.

"Unbelievable. If you're so great, why don't _you_ teach me?" Jack whipped around to look at her with the most appalled look on his face.

"Good God woman! No! Ye've scarred poor Pearl enough as it is! Do ye want her traumatized fer life?" Gale resisted the urge to slap her forehead.

"Well, if you would teach me, then I wouldn't 'scar' your precious pearl!" Jack turned away from her, pondering the thought for a moment. He couldn't believe he was actually considering it.

Turning back to her he asked, "If I teach ye how te sail, what do I get out of it?" Gale shrugged in response.

"What do you want?" When she saw Jack's grin she regretted saying that. She narrowed her eyes at him and replied, "Anything but that. Keep it in your breeches." Jack clutched his heart and put on a hurt expression.

"Ye wound me, woman."

"Gale! My name is Gale! G-A-L-E! Do I need to spell it out for you?" Jack stopped faking the pained heart and turned back to the helm.

"Wouldn't matter if ye did, love. I can't read." Gale scoffed in disbelief.

"Right, and I suppose you're going to tell me you can't write either?" Jack glared at her before he turned away again, but he didn't say anything. Realization dawned on Gale and she put a hand to her mouth.

"You really can't, can you?" Jack turned to her, still wearing a sour expression.

"That's what I said, wasn't it?" Jack asked, sarcasm evident in his tone. Gale looked at her foot as if she was thinking. When she looked up again, she smiled at him.

"I have an idea, if you're up to the challenge." Jack eyed her for a few moments, dwelling on whether or not to listen. Finally, he decided that he would.

"Go on," he answered. Encouraged, Gale took a few steps until she was only a foot away from him.

"If you teach me how to sail, than I'll teach you how to read and write, savvy?" Jack smiled at her first try at talking like a pirate. The word fit coming from her mouth, and the accent rolled off her tongue easily. He took a step closer to her until there was only a few inches between them.

"If ye manage te teach this ol' pirate how te read an' write all proper, I'll do more than jist teach ye how te sail. I'll teach ye how te be a pirate." Gale smiled triumphantly.

"So we have a deal?" Gale put her hand out in front of her for him to shake.

"Ye've got yerself an accord." Jack grabbed her hand and shook it to seal the deal. When Gale went to take her hand back, his fingertips trailed over her hand and lingered longer than necessary, leaving little tingling shockwaves where he had touched her. Rubbing her hand against her side to rid it of the tingling sensations, she walked past him and to the entrance to the lower deck. She was halted in her decent of the stairs by his voice.

"First lesson tomorrow. Bright and early." Nodding, Gale left him to himself and went back down to the lower deck.


	4. Lesson One: How to Drink

A/N - This chapter was a little difficult to write. First of all, I spent most of my day in Hanover, PA. Though I had originally planned to write part of this chapter during the 2 1/2 hours there and the 2 1/2 hours back, that didn't work too well. On the way there, I had the biggest brain fart imaginable, so I spent it listening to my CD player. On the way home, my batteries died. Still had my brain fart. Then, my grandmother forces my parents to put in a stupid "How to Learn How to Play the Harmonica" CD. After the person playing the harmonica butchered Jingle Bells (which I had believed impossible till then), my dad, thankfully, took the CD and threw it back at her. Still had my brain fart. I looked over the ideas that I had written down for this story and finally started getting the wheels turning. Thing was, I couldn't figure out how I wanted to write the first sentence. It's kind of difficult to write something when you can't even get the first sentence down. When I finally managed to start writing, we were already home. Having only finished two paragraphs, both of which are at different points in the chapter, I ended up here, at my computer, at 10:00 pm friday night trying to grate out at least a page or two before bed. Still had my brain fart. Then, I wake up at 8:00 am in the morning on saturday to clean my room so I can go to my boyfriends around 1. Between cleaning my room and waiting for my boyfriend to get done with his work, I tried to crap out at least another page. Still had my brain fart. Turns out, I never made it to my boyfriends. So I had all day to write, but guess what? Still had my brain fart! When I actually managed to conquer my incredibly large brain fart...guess what....THE WHOLE BLOODY TIME FF.NET WAS NOT WORKING!!! SO IT DIDN'T MATTER BECAUSE EVEN IF I HAD FINISHED IT WHEN I HAD ORIGINALLY PLANNED TO (which was friday night) I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO LOAD IT!!!!! _...so yea...I'm a little stressed out right now. *drops head on desk* moving on before I blow a major artery....

REVIEWS

Prologue: Chikita Banana: Thank you!

Chapter 1: DarkAngelB: How true! lol

Niklariana: Thank you!

Rogue Sparrow: I'm glad you like :) I'll keep it coming as fast as I can.

Sulwen of Great Smials: Thank you! I'm glad you think my character and my chapter are funny! :)

Chapter 2: Dixiehnsnluver: Thank you!

Thank you to _all_ my reviewers!

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Gale was suddenly awakened when she felt someone grab her shoulders and shake her till she felt her brains would reduce to mush and ooze out her ears. Her eyes shot open instantly to find, not one, but two Jacks smirking at her. When Jack released her shoulders she grabbed her head to try and steady it. She waited for the room to stop spinning before she got up to wipe that smirk off his face. Slowly, she sat up on the bed, still a bit dizzy from him shaking her like he was having a seizure. When she only saw one Jack instead of two, much to her relief, she glared at him.

"What on earth was that for, and was it really necessary?" Gale asked, barely restraining from raising her voice. Despite her apparent anger, Jack's smirk did not falter.

"Well, if I recall correctly, ye're the one who said all I had te do was shake ye awake." Gale stared at him stupidly for a few moments before she let out a shrill scream and lunged at him. Caught off guard, Jack went tumbling to the ground from the impact. He landed hard with Gale on top of him, knocking the wind out of his lungs. Jerking her head up, she realized just how close they were. Their noses were touching and they could feel each other's warm breath graze the other's lips. Her legs were on either side of him, straddling his stomach. His large shirt had ridden up her thighs and he could see their milky whiteness out of the corner of his eye. He could feel her breasts through his thin shirt and he felt himself growing hard. They stayed like that for a few moments just staring into the other's eyes, too shocked from their position and the feelings it generated to move. Gale was about to get up when they heard someone walk in. They both turned their heads to see one of the crewmen standing their smiling at them.

"Isa sorry, Captain. Didn't know ye was busy. I'll jist leave ye two alone then." With that, the man walked out and closed the door behind them. Gale turned back to look at Jack, her face looking absolutely mortified at being caught in this position. Jack only smiled and trailed his fingers up her naked thighs. Gale shivered at his touch, but she'd be damned before she let him know she liked him touching her. 

"If ye wanted me this bad, love, all ye had te do was say so," Jack whispered, a husky tone in his voice. Gale's eyes widened considerably before she leaned back and jumped off of him, picking up his coat from the bed and wrapping it around herself to obtain some modesty. While she was doing that he stood up and pointed to the edge of the bed. She turned around to see a pile of clothing lying where he was pointing. Picking them up, she turned and stared at him, waiting for him to leave the room.

"What, no thank you kiss?" Jack instantly regretted opening his mouth when she slapped him and kicked him out of his own room, yet again.

When Gale emerged from the lower deck, Jack was leaning against the helm. He looked up at her with a smile and it only got wider when he looked her over. He was quite pleased with what he had picked out for her. She had a white shirt like his, only much smaller, showing her midriff, and it tied between her breasts. There was a black leather vest over it that tied in the middle. It hugged to her breasts nicely in Jack's opinion. Her pants were also black, hugging closely to her buttocks and thighs, and tucked into knee-length dark brown leather boots. She had a gray sash hanging loosely from her hips and a gray bandanna covering the entire top of her head, keeping her hair out of her face. 

"For some reason, Captain, I can't shake the feeling that you had a hand in picking this out." He gave her another appreciative look before he looked up at her with a satisfied smirk on his face. Despite her attempt at being angry with him, she couldn't help but smirk back. Somewhere inside her, she was happy he was looking at her like that. It felt good whenever he expressed interest in her, even if it was just for her body. He kept smiling as her walked up to her and she nearly jumped out of her skin when he placed his hand on her lower back. Gale shot Jack a confused look when he guided her towards the ramp off the boat.

He simply smiled and replied, "Lesson #1: How to drink like a pirate," and walked her down the ramp and into Tortuga.

Gale stared wide-eyed at the large mug the plump barmaid had set in front of her just moments before.

"Good Lord," was all she could manage to say. Jack chuckled at her and she watched, mouth agape, as he took a rather large gulp from his own mug.

"Go on," Jack said, waving his hands at her to take a swig of the drink. Tentatively, she brought the mug to her lips and took a small sip, grimacing the second it touched her tongue. She forced the harsh liquid down her throat and turned to Jack with a disgusted expression.

"How can you drink this? It's absolutely horrible!" Jack smiled and took another swig of his drink before replying.

"Ye get used te the taste after awhile. Go on, keep drinkin'." He waved his hands at her again, so she forced another sip of the vile drink down. Jack rolled his eyes at her. "Fer God sakes, drink! Ye're hurtin' its feelin's!" Gale just looked at him, confused.

"I _am_ drinking. And don't be absurd. A drink has no feelings," Gale replied. Jack just stared at her blankly.

"Ye know what I mean. Now grab the bull by his balls and drink!" Gale gaped at Jack's comment in utter disbelief.

"I beg your pardon! I will most certainly _not_ grab a bull by his balls!" Jack rolled his eyes at her again.

"Tis a figure of speech, and pardon not granted. Now drink, woman!"

"My name is-" Gale was cut off in mid sentence as Jack lifted her pint, still in her own hands, to her mouth and practically forced her to drink some of it. She nearly choked on it, and started coughing to clear her throat when he pulled the mug away. She had to blink a few times to get rid of the colorful spots dancing around in her eyes. She turned to Jack, but he only smiled at her. And to her add to her shock, she smiled back at him.

An hour and a lot of alcohol later...

Jack watched in utter amazement as Gale downed yet another shot. He certainly had not expected her to consume this much. He stared down at his shot glass that was still full. He was able to stop drinking awhile ago. She, not being used to this much alcohol at once, was completely drunk by her second or third pint of beer. So, here he was, in a bar and still sober. He looked back up at her and she smiled at him, swaying in her seat a little. Someone had to make sure she didn't get herself hurt or worse. He just happened to be the only available trustworthy person to do it.

"I win," he heard her say in a slurred speech before she belched rather loudly. He assumed she was talking about the imaginary drinking contest they were having. She slipped out of her chair so suddenly that Jack didn't catch her before she hit the ground. He stared at her stupidly as she burst out into hysteric giggles. Sighing, he picked her up off the floor and set her back on her seat. She began slipping again the second he let go, and he had to quickly grab her before she fell again. When he was sure she was not going to fall again any time soon, he turned to take his shot that he had neglected before. Unfortunately, the drink never made it past his lips. He almost spilled it when he was suddenly yanked out of his seat.

"Come on, Jack! Let's dance!" Jack tried to tell her that there was no music to dance to, but didn't when he realized it would only fall on deaf ears. He managed to put the shot of whiskey back on the table with minimum spillage before he was dragged to an open space between some of the tables. He stood there and watched as she spun around in circles, occasionally stopping herself and giggling because she was dizzy. He took this opportunity to look her over once more. Her lengthy curls twirled around along with her, creating a beautiful dark brown halo around her head. Her arms were in the air, elbows bent to give it a relaxed look. Jack's eyes trailed further down Gale's body.

His gaze began a lazy path over her smooth neck, and then settled on her breasts for a moment. This was the first time he was able to really get a good idea of their size. She wasn't as large as some, make that most, of the whores he had seen or been with, but that in no way meant she was small. He was almost sure that they would fit in his hands perfectly. He was tempted to reach up and find out, but he restrained himself. Even if she was completely off-her-rocker drunk right now, she'd probably still smack him silly for touching her.

Making his way further down, over her thin, flat stomach, and to her hips and rear. He watched her hips move, mesmerized by the seductive way they swayed. Her butt, like her breasts, was the perfect shape and size. His eyes skimmed down the curve of her back, over her rear, and on to her legs.

Just like the rest of her, they were perfect. Slender thighs, shapely calves, thin ankles, and dainty feet. He recalled the short time that morning she had straddled him, causing his mind to wander. He imagined himself trapped between those legs. Her sweaty thighs and calves wrapped around his hips, ankles locked, as he pushed into her hot wetness again and again.

He was brought back to reality when Gale tripped on her own foot. Snapping himself out of his fantasy, he quickly grabbed her around her waist before she fell flat on her face. He breathed out a sigh and pulled her upright. She just giggled the whole time, probably not realizing she had even tripped. She looked up at him and their eyes locked, her giggling slowing dying down. She was still smiling at him innocently and he felt the urge to kiss that sweet smile. He started to lean in to kiss her, but was not able to because Gale had twirled her way out of his arms and was now spinning away from him. 

She neared a table full of half-drunk pirates who all gave her very appreciative glances. _Too_ appreciative. He felt every muscle in his body tighten with jealousy. When one particular pirate tried to grab Gale's rear as she spun past him, it only took him a second to have his gun only inches away from the man's privates. The man's hand stopped immediately as he noticed the gun.

"Try te touch her again, an' I'll pull this 'ere trigger." Gale stopped twirling around and turned to face them just as Jack had threatened the pirate. When the man pulled his hand back, Jack put his gun away and walked up to Gale.

"Jack! What's going on?" Gale asked as Jack walked up to her and took her by the arm. 

"We're leavin', that's what's goin' on," Jack said as he started to pull her away from the table and out of the tavern.

"No! I'm not leavin'," Gale replied sharply before she pulled her arm free of his grasp. Jack turned around to see her twirling her way back towards the table he had just pulled her away from. Not having the patience to fight with her at the moment, he walked up to her, grabbed her around her waist, and threw her over his shoulder. He glared at the pirate who had tried to molest Gale before he turned around and walked out of the bar. Gale punched, kicked, and screamed the whole way back to the dock, but Jack just ignored her. When he reached the dock, he slid her off his shoulder and on to her feet. He wasn't surprised when she pushed away from him and gave him a hard slap across the cheek.

"What's the big idea?" Gale asked, anger leaking into her tone.

"I jist saved ye from bein' felt up by some half drunk pirate! Ye was bringin' some unwanted attention te yerself with all that twirling ye was doin'. Givin' some no-good pirates the wrong idea about ye," Jack practically yelled. He was still tense and angry about that pirate trying to take advantage of Gale like he had, but the way she was acting was making him angry with her instead.

"You mean like you?" Jack's eyes widened at her words. The fact that she would even think that he would take advantage of her like that hurt him. He had saved her life, not once, but twice now from less than virtuous men, and now she has the audacity to accuse him of the same crime. That was the last straw. He stalked up to her, grabbed her around the waist, and tossed her right into the water a few feet from the edge of the dock. He turned without a thought and walked away a few feet. When he didn't hear any screaming or splashing, he stopped and slowly turned. The only sign that she was underneath the water the ripples from her landing. He cautiously walked to the edge and waited for a few moments for her to surface, thinking she was doing this to trick him. When she didn't surface he began to panic. He hastily took of his boots, hat, and coat before he jumped into the water after her. 


	5. Reviews! :

A/N- 7/21/03

Gah! *looks at all the reviews* O.O Good God! I have so many reviews that I'm going to just reply to them without a chapter. Don't worry though. I have some awesome ideas for my next chapter and have already started writing it! It should be up tonight or tomorrow sometime.

Alydell: Thank you! I'm trying really hard to keep Jack in character, so I'm glad you think I have.

NerveHQ: Thank you! Don't worry, I will!

Thorn Garden: Thank you, I'm trying!

Mrs. Sparrow: Yes, unfortunately, Gale is blind to her good fortune. I didn't think he would be able to read or write (and if so, not well) because he's a pirate. I don't imagine that pirates received an education. Yes, Gale did deserve it. That's why he did it :) Thank you!

Chi: Thank ye an' yev've got yerself an accord!

Ghosts-girl23: Lol. He'll get a reward, don't worry.

Emerald Seraph: Thank you so much!

Tigger-180: Thank you and you're welcome! :)

QueenOfTheDamned: Thank you!

Usagi: So sorry! I didn't know! Thanks for telling me. It's too late to change it in this story, but I'll keep that in mind for my next. I knew about the girl being bad luck, but I chose to ignore it because there was a female pirate in the movie. She was the one Jack 'borrowed' the a ship from and never returned.

Silver Magiccraft: Thank you! Glad you like my character.

Alydell: lol...I'm sorry! I seem to just naturally write cliffhangers! I will update soon, don't worry!

NightShadow12: OK wench, let's get something straight here! No one told you that you had to read the fucken story! And who said you could use my whip and handcuffs!?!?! *walks in and sees naked and bound Johnny Depp* HOLY MOLY BATMAN ROLLERS!!! FUCK!! You were gonna do naughty things to Johnny Depp and not tell me?! BITCH!!

YamiRay: Thank you and I will! :)


	6. author's note

9/15/03

Hey everyone! Do you remember me? lol. I'm so sorry everyone! I've bailed on you all! *bows down before you all* I'm soooo sorry! I've just not been in the mood to write and then school started so it's been a little hectic getting into a different schedule. I'm writng the next chapter right now...well actually after I finish writing this. I should have it up by the end of this week if not earlier. If not then..well..I'm a liar and there's really nothing you can do about it but stop reading and reviewing my story. Wait...that's bad. *drops to the floor and grabs your legs* DON'T LEAVE ME!!!!!! PLEEEEEEASE!!!!!!! 

Ok...here's the deal. I'm not going to respond to each and every single review. It would be too much(which is pretty much my fault but I'm really lazy). I'm only responding to the reviews with questions. I will, however, list everyone's name acknowledging that I got your review and a thankyou behind the names.

evilspoofauthor2Cassi, Caity Greenleaf, Jedi-Girl8900, Mrs. Sparrow, Mesopotamia, bluejade, sciren-fidelus(love your name), Nikajendayiuadjit, blackrose62, HarliQuin3636(If you have the lyrics, then I'll squeeze it in), NightShadow12, Dazzle1, evilspoofauthor1Sven, MorningDove16, urylia, sen-chan2, Stokely, Silver Magiccraft, Alyde11, Rory3, Cecily, Emerald Seraph, Tigger-180, Chikita Banana1, Superme1, YamiRay, Hazel Sparrow, Blayze Iskillion Firestorm(love your name), Lilith Hollow, sawshbucklin sorceress, Melyanna3, ally6, songelf88 and G.H.S. the warg, Isabelle Gibson, Morwen1, Seiko, PenguinFlavoredFilm, Princess Chi, charmedfanatic12, Pirate Lass, Orlibabe0967, When the Moron Comes, Aimi Komori, Tigris6, Nevasaiel, Krillball6, Greeneyes616, Erica, smmergurl, PineAppleLint: THANKYOU!!!!!

Unsung Hero(4): First question. She didn't "jump". She walked. sry. Seriously, she was under shock at the moment so she pretty much would have walked on a ship with anyone at that rate that wasn't holding a weapon to her or tearing off her clothes. Also, she had nothing left for her there, so he seemed as good a choice as any especially since he was the one that had saved her from being raped. 

Second question, Jack has a reason for taking her aboard the ship which will unravel very soon in the story. Don't worry. All in due time.

This story is a few years after the movie, so I'm thinking maybe he gained SOME of his sanity. I'll try a little harder to get him to be more the like the movie character, but it's been a few years and I'm writing him like he's toned down a bit after a few years time.

Jack will crack down on her crap soon don't worry. He's going to start really whipping Gale into shape. He'll be getting his room and bed back in the next chapter in fact. :) Betcha he's excited. 

Eradwyn(5): Jack is older than Gale by a good amount of years, but not THAT old. That's just SICK. lol. He was...let's say...mid-twenties when her father knew him. Gale's father was also older than Jack. Is it cleared up now? I didn't really touch on that so don't worry.

Anya Midnight(6): Alrightie. The Mary-sue thing. Not to sound bitchy or anything but, WHO THE FUCK MADE THAT UP?!. I'm sorry, I'm not yelling at you. I just think that it's way to hard to make a character, put it into an already created storyline, and have them be 100% non-Mary-sue. It's practically impossible. Also, some of those so-called unrealistic attributes are what makes a character interesting. There are cases where it's practically disgusting how perfect the characters are and, in that case, I'd have to agree with you. But let's face it, Gale may have pirate heritage, but she friggin sucks. Her first lesson and she ends up drunk off her rocker and nearly drowns. She can't steer a ship for crap and she still acts like a lady. She's absolutely nothing like a pirate. I'm not going to take this down and refurbish it aside from errors and things that may need to be added that I forgot. I will, however, keep in mind for the future not to make Gale some superchic because that she is not. This story may seem a little on the slow side right now, but that's why I threw humor in there to make it interesting till the real plot starts to unravel. Hold on to your pants and it'll get here, don't worry.

IF ANYONE HAS THE SONG THAT PIRATES SING PLEASE PLEASE SEND IT TO ME!!!! my e-mail is in my bio.


	7. Hold Me When I'm Scared

BEHOLD!!! I LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE!!!!!!!  
  
Today is Tuesday, 10/7/03 and I have all day to do as I please. So here I am, for the first time since I finished the last chapter, trying to pull this particular chapter out of my crapper with an extremely large anus- probing wrench. It is both painful and tedious. I had all these ideas (courtesy of NightShadow12 and Jen) but I, for some reason, could not write them out. After many weeks of agony, I managed to finish it. So here it is.  
  
Reviews: Sinopa: Thank you! thats-niki-to-you: Thanks, and someone else gave me alonger version. I appreciate your help :) MorgauseNokami: Morgause...hmm...She was the Sorceress Morgan's sister. Did you happen to read I am Morgan le Fay by any chance? And I'm sorry if she comes off as perfect, I'll try to make he seem less...well...perfect. neha saxena: I have updated! see! maybe not soon...but I did and that's all that counts....right? A reader: Thank you so much! For your first question...She doesn't have pms..she's just...well..bitchy. You'll find out in a bit more depth why she's so bitchy with Jack and she'll start being nicer later on. As for your second question..read and find out! Peach: At first, I wasn't going to reply to this, but I've obviously changed my mind. First off, if I'm assuming correctly from what you said, you haven't even read the story and you're already criticizing it. Second of all, if the best criticism you have is to accuse me of ripping off a name from two people I haven't even heard of much less care about and tell me I've got the spelling for the wrong gender, than you can forget leaving another review because I won't be reading it. By the way, generally reserved means most of the time, not always.  
  
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It only took Jack a few seconds to find her floating lifelessly a few feet below the surface. Swimming over to her, he wrapped his arms around her middle and quickly shot to the surface. He drew in a large gulp of air when he emerged. When Jack didn't hear Gale do the same, he laid her down flat, pinched her nose shut, and breathed air into her lungs. He saw her chest rise and then fall from his breath entering and leaving her lungs. Trying a few more times, she finally convulsed and coughed up the water in her lungs.  
Gale choked and gasped for air as she coughed up the sea water in her lungs. The salt burned her lungs and throat on its way up and her eyes teared from the effort. When Jack had thrown her into the water, she had only a few seconds to draw in a deep breath. Unfortunately, she had opened her mouth too late and had swallowed a large helping of water. It didn't help the fact that she had never learned to swim, so she couldn't get to the surface for air. She had watched helplessly as she sank deeper and deeper into the sea. Her eyes closed as she felt her body start to shut down. Her chest felt tight and her body weighed down by some unnatural force. By then, she had lost consciousness and hadn't felt or seen Jack dive in and pull her out of the water.  
"Well, it's 'bout time. I was almost 'bout to give up on ye an' walk away." Gale had to wait a few moments before everything stopped warping in her vision before she registered what he had just said. At first, she didn't care. She had just been nearly drowned and her head was starting to pound from all that alcohol.  
Alcohol.  
Gale bolted upright, eyes wide. Now she remembered. She cursed his name inside her head. That swine had embarrassed her in front of everyone in that bar. Not only did he stop at that, but he tossed her in the sea, nearly drowning her, to boot! The nerve of that pirate dog! She was a lady and he had no such right to be tossing her around like a rag doll and nearly kill her! She seethed on the inside till the tips of her ears were a brightening red. Jack just raised his eyebrow in meager interest at her unexpected reaction.  
"Careful, love. Wouldn't want te freeze that pretty lil' face of yers that way." Turning to him sharply, she pinned the infamous pirate with an ever-darkening glare. She stood up as gracefully as possible, straightening her wet shirt and pants as much as possible. Jack didn't miss the way the wet, white shirt clung to her skin and made it practically invisible. In this state of dress, not much was left to his imagination. And Captain Jack Sparrow's imagination was very fertile.  
"How dare you, you brute!" Jack lifted an eyebrow as he slowly put back on his boots, jacket, and hat.  
"Brute? Well, I'd 'ave te say lass, I 'aven't heard that one till now."  
"So glad to know I've expanded your almost completely non-existent vocabulary."  
"Hey, listen 'ere ye high-strung wench! If I recall, I twasn't the one dancing' round like a drunken fool, attractin' the attention of every breathin' male in the room! I jist saved ye'r ungrateful, pampered arse from being violated in the worst of ways! So if I was ye', I'd be thankin me with some thick kisses!" Gale's eyes widened in indignation.  
"And if I recall correctly, you were the one that threw me in the water and waited till I nearly drowned in the first place!" Jack stood up, now fully clad in his pirate attire, and glared back at her.  
"How was I supposed te know that ye couldn't swim? If I had known that, I wouldn't 'ave thrown ye in."  
"Oh, really?" Gale asked. It came off as an accusation instead of an inquiry with all the sarcasm and skepticism dripping from every syllable. Jack opened his mouth to say 'really', but snapped it shut again. Gale nodded in triumph and continued to glare at him, nose high in the air like the snot-nosed brat she was. "That's what I thought." Determined to salvage some of his dignity from her, he straightened up and looked her in the eye.  
"Maybe not, but I wouldn't 'ave taken so long te come in after ye. Besides, ye deserved it."  
"I most certainly did not!" In an instant Gale felt Jack's hand seize her face and lock her lips in an intense, toe-curling kiss. It was rough and probing. He forced her lips open and plunged her mouth with his tongue, leaving no crevice untouched. His left hand was wrapped tightly, almost wrenchingly painful, in her long locks. She felt his right hand travel down her front and that's when her fogged brain kicked in and she began to struggle. She pushed against his shoulders but he continued on, roughly pulling the left shoulder of her blouse down just enough to expose a line of rosy skin. She tried screaming in his mouth but was dampened by his mouth on hers. He ignored her and slid down further. Gale began to panic, whimpering in his mouth. When his hand roughly tore her sash away and gripped the hem of her pants, he broke the kiss and stared at her with a hard expression. Gale immediately began screaming for him to stop and he watched impassively as tears rolled down her flushed cheeks.  
"That's what was goin through ev'ry one of them pirate's minds. I saved ye from that. So next time ye want te be thankin' me, try not te do it by accusin' me of bein' the same filthy dog as the one I protected ye from." He pulled away slowly and Gale dropped to the ground sobbing. Gazing at her for a few moments, his eyes began to soften, thinking that maybe he had been a little too hard on her. Taking his jacket off, he kneeled down and wrapped it around her, over-lapping it in the front. He tenderly wiped away the tears with his thumb, cupping her cheeks in his hands. He grimaced mentally when she flinched away from his touch.  
"I'm sorry." The words were so quite he barely heard them. They were shaky and spoken barely above a whisper. It was the most submissiveness he had seen from her and it didn't seem right somehow. He had wanted her to know that he was in charge and not her, that he was protecting her from the good of his heart, and no amount of insolence would be tolerated. But when he saw her crying there, so easily harmed and fragile, he regretted his actions. Her lips were red and swollen and would probably be bruised by the end of the night. Thinking of what he had just done made him flinch visibly. She wasn't accustomed to this life, and no matter how hard she wanted it, she still wasn't ready to take it on either. She looked up at him again, eyes watered and lips quivering. "You're right and I'm sorry. Thank you for saving me."  
Jack nearly dropped his jaw when she wrapped her arms around his neck, his coat dropping to the ground. It was so gentle and such a caring gesture that it made his gut wrench. He had just violated her, albeit to make a point, and she was hugging him. Maybe she wasn't as selfish as she seemed. Probably not but it was still a moment he was savoring. Who knows when she would even look at him without screaming again. He returned the gesture, wrapping his arms around her.  
She pulled away slowly, almost reluctantly, and placed a chaste kiss on his cheek. Shocked, Jack stayed still for a moment as he stared in her eyes. He watched, mesmerized, as she slowly leaned forward and her eyes began to drift shut. Realizing what she about to do, he gently turned his head so she kissed a cheek. She looked at him confused and slightly hurt. All kinds of thoughts were running through her head, but before she could voice them, he wrapped her up in his coat again and stood up.  
"Let's get ye back on the ship so ye can get some rest. Tis been a long day an' I'm sure ye be tired." Gale only nodded numbly as he walked her aboard the Black Pearl and down to the lower deck and his quarters. Once inside and the door was shut behind them, Jack walked her over to his bed and sat her down on it. Gale wiped her nose on her sleeve and gently rubbed the excess tears from her eyes. As for Jack, it was late and he was ready for bed. Pulling off his shirt, boots, and hat, he folded his arms behind his head and flopped right onto the center of the bed. Unfortunately for the unsuspecting Gale, he managed to bounce her right out of the bed and onto the floor. Popping one eye open, he peered over the edge of the bed to see her crumpled form on the ground.  
"Are ye all right there, missy?" Muttering a few curses, Gale managed to right herself into a sitting position at the side of the bed where she had fallen. Not turning to look at him, she replied in a grumbled voice.  
"I'll ignore that, Captain. And I'll also ignore the fact that you are taking up about every inch of the only bed on this room. Perhaps, the only bed on this ship." Gale thought about that for a few moments before adding, "Well, the only bed on this ship that isn't crawling with disease and cockroaches." Jack pondered her response for a moment.  
"Tis not exactly true, lass. Anamaria 'as a 'alfway decent bed." Gale turned and gave him a dry look before realizing he had his shirt off. She blushed a deep crimson red as she took all of it in. He had a lean muscle-tone and was well chiseled. He had a small frame, but it emanated power. Her eyes slid over his chest and down the dark brown line of hair leading into his pants. Blushing as she pictured where it lead, she quickly turned her head away. Jack had to chuckle. "True, true." Anamaria would have told Gale to suck it up and stop whining. She definitely was a priceless character, and an irreplaceable member of his crew. Gale had turned away from him again and was just sitting there, arms wrapped around her knees.  
"Love?" Jack asked.  
"Gale," she replied curtly, always reminding him what he already knew. Ignoring her irate reply, he continued on.  
"Love, are you coming to bed or not?"  
"I would, Captain, except you're hogging the whole bed." Jack looked down and confirmed that he was, indeed, hogging the bed.  
"Well, so I am." Shuffling over, Jack lay on his side, back against the wall. "And now I'm not. Ready for bed?" To emphasis his point, Jack patted the empty space next to him in invitation. Just as Gale was about to get up and hop into bed, she stopped herself short. That was Captain Jack Sparrow on the other side of that bed. A pirate. A male pirate and an overly amorous, half naked one to boot. She stiffened at the prospect of sleeping in the same bed with him. She wouldn't do it. She couldn't do it.  
"If it's perfectly all right with you, Captain, I'll stay right here." Jack raised an eyebrow, but said nothing else. He quickly flopped himself over so he was completely covering the mattress again. Gale stayed perfectly still right where she was.  
"Suit yerself. If ye don't want a perfectly comfy bed te sleep in tenight than that only means the more room fer me." Gale hugged herself just a little tighter when Jack blew out the nearly burnt out candle on the little table next to the bed. It wasn't that she didn't want to. It was because she did. He made her feel things that she shouldn't feel for him. He was a pirate. A thief and a murderer. She only stayed with him because he had promised to fulfill her and her father's dream for her to become a pirate.  
Thinking about that for a few moments, Gale realized the one major flaw in her logic. Her father was a pirate, too. The instant she thought about her father she felt tears come to her eyes. Her father was a pirate, and so was she. Or, at least, she was trying to be. If he was such a horrible creature, why was she trying so hard to become like him? Turning around to look at Jack, she watched his peaceful face. She knew he wasn't sleeping, he never really was. Jack didn't trust anyone with his life except him. He didn't even trust his own crew to not come in his room at night and slit his throat. Maybe she was looking at him in the wrong light. Perhaps, he wasn't as bad as she made him out to be. If she couldn't cope with him, how could she expect to become like him. He was everything she was trying to become, minus the insanity. He was everything her father was and everything she was afraid of at the same time.  
The tears that were welled up in her eyes fell, and she let them. They trailed slowly down her cheeks, one after the other, and she didn't lift a finger to stop it. Standing up she gently nudged Jack in his side. Grunting, he looked up at her.  
"Changed yer mind, did ye, lass?" Jack couldn't keep the triumphant lilt out of his voice or the victorious smirk off his face. He had felt her gaze on him and was simply waiting for her to finally submit.  
"Just shut up and move over, you big oaf." Jack chuckled, but complied. He slid over to the side again as he waited for her to take off her leather vest and boots. He watched amused as she nervously wiggled her way under the sheet. She shuffled around for a few moments before lying extremely still. Biting back a chuckle, he wrapped his arms around stomach and pulled her close to him. Gale let out a tiny squeal and jumped when she felt Jack wrap his arm around her. She lay even stiffer when she felt his warm skin press against her back. Her face flushed again and she felt a slight twinge of pleasure in her lower abdomen. Her heart was beating a mile a minute and she held her breath so he wouldn't be able to realize the effect he had on her. Little did she know, he knew everything he was doing to her. Leaning over, he whispered in her ear.  
"Relax," he breathed, purposely letting his breath trail over the lobe of her ear and her cheek. "I won't bite." Jack paused for a few seconds before he added, "Too hard." He felt Gale shiver beneath his arm and he knew it was from pleasure. Anticipation, not fear. He lay back on his side, but kept his arm wrapped around her. After a few moments, he felt her relax, her body going limp in his arms. Her breath was even and slow. She had finally fallen asleep. He looked over her peaceful features for a moment and, smiling, closed his eyes and let himself rest.  
  
~*~ Dream Sequence ~*~  
  
"Papa?" Gale turned around and saw a little girl sitting in an older man's lap. The little girl had a head full of darkest brown curls, skin a pale alabaster, and mahogany brown eyes. She was in a frilly white dress, with pale pink ribbons twisted into her thick curls. If it wasn't for the bare feet, and the chocolate smudges on her hands and face from her brownie, she would have passed for the perfect little girl. She was looking up adoringly at the old man she was sitting on. He was balding and his hair was an ugly gray, his face wrinkling and leathery, but his eyes conveyed so much happiness it made him the most beautiful man in the little girls eyes.  
"Yes, Gale?" The old man replied with a knowing smile on his lips.  
"Papa, tell me about Captain Jack Sparrow again! I wanna hear how he sailed the seas and fought the British soldiers and about the Black Pearl and-" The old man chuckled causing the little girl to look up and smile brightly.  
"Certainly, Gale. Which one do you want to hear first, my darling daughter?" Gale smiled as she watched her father begin to recount one of the many stories of Captain Jack Sparrow and himself. The happy memory soon faded though and Gale found herself standing on a dark room. There was nothing but blackness as far as she could see. Looking down, she found herself in the same blue dress she was wearing the night her father died. Only now, it wasn't ripped or covered in blood. Looking back up, she saw her father and the pirate from that night appear. She watched in horror as her father was shot in the heart. She ran forward to catch him but he fell right through her arms. She looked at her hands with wide eyes. Turning around, she came face to face with the pirate. Rage filled her and she ran towards him, fully intent on wrapping her hands around his neck and choking him until his head rolled off his shoulders, but to no avail. Her hands went straight through him as they had done before and she stumbled from the momentum. Catching herself before she fell, she turned around again. The floor around her father was covered in blood. So much blood it was abnormal. It slowly seeped it's way towards her, it's crimson fingers stretching out as if to grasp her and pull her into it's endless pool of red. She followed it's trail as it came ever closer to her feet.  
Stepping back, she looked down at the front of her dress. It was torn and covered in blood. The whole front of her dress was covered in the thick, hot liquid, from the bodice down to the hem of her skirt. Feeling something trickle down the side of her face, she lifted a hand to wipe it away quickly. She looked at her hand to see what it was and found more blood. Panicking, she touched her face again and each time her hand came away with more blood. Frantically, she ran her hands over her face and jerked them through her hair as she felt more blood wash down her spine and face. Red filled her vision and she realized that she was bleeding from her eyes.  
  
~*~ End Dream Sequence ~*~  
  
Jack awoke with a start when he heard shrill screaming in his ears. He looked over and saw Gale thrashing and screaming next to him. Her arms and legs her flailing and kicking all over the place. Tears were streaming down her face. Her hands were scratching at her face and pulling at her hair. He watched with wide eyes as she nearly tore her own face off. For fear of her further injuring herself, Jack seized her arms and laid his body over hers to keep her from kicking. She struggled beneath him and he was beginning to find it difficult to contain her. She acted as if she was possessed by her own fear.  
"Gale!" Jack shouted her name, but she didn't respond. He shouted it again, louder this time and she still didn't hear him. She continued to thrash about like a mad person. Somehow he managed to transfer both her wrists to one hand and, sitting up, he slapped her across the face. Instantly, Gale's eyes snapped open and she completely ceased all movement. She stared up at Jack with wide eyes. Her breathing was completely erratic and she was covered in her own sweat and tears. Slowly, Jack climbed off of her, letting her wrists go. He laid back down on his side, not once taking his eyes off of her. She continued to stare at the ceiling, slowly calming down.  
"Gale?" Jack asked tentatively, unsure of whether or not to touch her. When she didn't look at him he tried again. "Gale, are ye all right?" Slowly, Gale turned her head to look at him. Her eyes were still wide, but she didn't seem to look as frightened as she had been.  
"Jack?" Her voice sounded so small and helpless that it pulled at something in Jack. It was cracked, hoarse from her screaming. It sounded choked from her crying and it quivered from the fear so obviously welled up inside her. "Jack, I'm scared." He didn't bother to ask, he knew what she wanted. Gently, but firmly, he pulled her into his arms. She clutched one hand in his hair and the other arm wrapped around his back and that hand clutched his shoulder. He felt her shaking and quivering from crying and her fear. Her head was buried in his chest and he could feel her hot tears running over his skin. Jack slowly rolled on his back for better comfort, bringing Gale's head to rest at the crook of his neck. Cradling her left arm to her chest, she lay the other one over his stomach, firmly grasping his side as if she was afraid he would disappear. He held her head to his shoulder with the arm she was laying on, and he laid the other arm over hers, gently tracing soothing circles on her shoulder.  
"Jack?" Popping on eye open, Jack looked down at Gale. She was looking at him, her eyes red and puffy, but no longer crying.  
"Hmm?" He replied, now opening both his eyes.  
"Will you play with my hair? Papa used to play with my hair at night and it helped me fall asleep." Jack nodded and when she laid her head back down, he began to gently run his finger through her dark curls. It was soaked in her sweat and tears, so it was hard for him to run his finger through it smoothly. Eventually, he managed to get the tangles out and it had dried some, making it much easier. Slowly, she fell asleep again, and dreamt a dreamless sleep for the remainder of the night. 


	8. What I Didn't See Before

I am back in the groove! YESH! I'm so happy! I started writing this, and the second paragraph turned into something really cute, and I thought it was too soon for it, so I put it at the end of the chapter and it turned out so perfect! I really liked how this chapter turned out! Before I continue on, I realized something....I don't have a disclaimer. So I'm going to put one up for every chapter beginning now, and whenever I get around to it, I'll put it in the chapters I've missed. So here it is..  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean or any of the characters portrayed in it. I do, however, own Gale and any other character in this story that was not originally placed in the movie, unless I state otherwise.  
  
Reviews:  
  
Aragorn's Sexy Female Ranger: Thank you so much! I forgot to post my thank you to you last chapter, but not completely! I have msn, I just have to download it onto my new computer. I'll e-mail ya when I've got it!  
  
Sinopa: I'm sorry you had to wait so long! I promise I'll keep the updates more regular! Thank you for your support!  
Alydell: YES! I LIVE! lol..much laughs. About the grammar, I read it over myself and found some, but I was like "They've waited two months, and my BETA reader is gone. I'll just post it now and fix it later." So I'm gonna wait a couple of chapters, have my BETA read them all and then do it then. Thank you so much! I'll try to update sooner this time!  
Kaitlyn: Thank you!  
mrs wood felton: rofl! YES! RAPE! But you can't rape the willing..and trust me...if she wasn't willing then..she will be soon! Thank you!  
DeppieHellcat: THANKYOU!! I love it, too! Of course, I should love it considering it's mine. lol. Don't worry, I won't stop. I love writing too much. DON'T PANIC! Gale WILL NOT....I repeat... WILL NOT become a weak girl. She actually gets stronger nearer to the end. I have no intention of making my character an invalid just because her life's a little wacked at the moment. She'll toughen up. Thank you!  
Mesopotamia: So does this mean I can review your story without fear of a beating? lol j/k much laughs. Thank you!  
Greeneyes616: Thank you!  
aurora borealisl: Thank you! I'm glad you approve of Gale. I wasn't sure people would because..well..she's kinda...psychotic? So you saying you like her makes me happy. mushy mushy!  
smmergurl: Thank you! No prob with the e-mailing thing.  
Eradwyn: Thank you! Yes, when will they? I'm curoius of that myself because, to tell you the truth, I HAVE NO FREAKIN CLUE!!! I had this all graphed out...and then...well...it just turned out different than the graph and I'm all lost! lol. They will soon, this chapter has the most love in it thus far.  
Isabelle Gibson: Isn't it?! I was thinking about drawing that particular scene, but I have to get myself back in the drawing groove again. I haven't done it in awhile. i came up with that because that puts me to sleep, too and I thought, wouldn't that be a cute little idea? So I put it in.  
Nightingale16: GET A LIFE!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? GET UP! MOVE AROUND!! STOP TALKING TO ME!!!!!  
Hernunky: 'ello!!! Thank you, your opinion means a lot to me, considering you know where I live and I actually know you personally. Yesh yesh, I know. You love me so much more than anything. I love you, too. Tankies!  
NightShadow12: Thank you babe! DUN DUN DUN!!! heheh...dundun cssh...lol. LOVE YA DARLIN!!  
  
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Gale awoke the next morning to the sound of seagulls. It was both annoying and unwelcome. Seagulls didn't stray far from land, so that meant that they hadn't left Tortuga docks yet. Pinching her eyes shut tightly, she tried to block out the sound. When her efforts to drown out the annoying clumps of feathers proved futile, she rolled over to get up. Straight off the bed. Grumbling, Gale groped for the edge of the bed to pull herself up. Once she was right side up, she glanced at the bed and found that Jack was not presently occupying it. She let a small smile grace her lips as she remembered last night. He had been so kind and gently. A far cry from the person she had originally thought him to be. Her smile slowly grew wider each second that she thought about last night. Scrambling to stand, she quickly threw on Jack's coat and hurriedly padded her way up the steps to the upper deck like a five year old on Christmas morning.  
She found Jack at the helm, a bottle of rum in one hand, the other lying over one of the knobs lazily. He was humming some jolly, drunken tune under his breath and he was waving the rum around slightly. She suddenly felt a twinge of guilt rush through her stomach. She'd been so horrible to him lately, and he didn't deserve any of it. He had done nothing but help her since they'd met. In fact, it was because of him that she was still alive and had her chastity intact.  
"Jack?" she called out to him. Jack turned and smiled at her and she couldn't help but smile back.  
"Mornin', lass. Sleep well?" He was still smiling, but when she looked in his eyes, she saw a look of seriousness in there. He was referring to her nightmare. He was genuinely concerned for her and it made her feel even more guilty. Nodding her head in affirmation, she opened her mouth to continue what she came up there to do, but Jack cut her off again. "Wonderful. Fine mornin' fer a swim, wouldn't ye say, lass?" Gale looked at Jack confused, but answered none-the-less.  
"I suppose, but what does that have to do with anything?" Gale replied, wary of Jack's actions. Jack looked appalled and Gale began to wonder if he had had a little too much to drink already that morning.  
"It has te do with everythin'!" Jack twirled his way over to the edge of the ship in his little waltz that she had come to assume as his natural drunken walk. Setting his bottle of rum down next to him, he smiled stupidly at her.  
"Jack, what are you talking about? You're not making any sense." Gale had come up to apologize for being rude, but he was already grating on her nerves and she was beginning to remember why she couldn't stand him before.  
"That's Captain, love, and I be makin' perfect sense! We're goin' swimmin'!" Before Gale could say another word, Jack had flung himself overboard.  
"Jack!" Gale screamed as she ran to the edge of the boat where he had thrown himself and searched the water for any sign of him. The only thing she saw was rippling foam and bubbles where he had landed. She began to panic when the bubbles and foam disappeared and there was still no sign of him. Suddenly, there was a small burst from the water, causing Gale to jump and let out a small shriek. Looking towards the explosion she found Jack looking up at her, laughing. Infuriated by the fact that he had scared her witless and was now laughing at her because of it, she screamed at him. This only caused Jack to laugh even harder.  
"Jack! Don't you ever do that to me again! You scared the hell out of me!" Jack let out a few more guffaws before he composed himself and settled on just grinning shamelessly at her.  
"That be a helluva lot of hell te be scarin out of ye. I didn't know ye cared about me that much, love!" Gale glared at him, but didn't rise to his bait.  
"Of course I don't care about you! I was only worried that I would never make it to somewhere decent! If you die, who runs the ship?" Jack slapped a hand to his chest like he'd just been shot.  
"Ye wound me, lass! Mr. Gibbs would 'ave taken charge of the ship, an' me crew would 'ave 'ad it all taken care of. There be no need te worry ye're pretty little 'ead." Gale scoffed at him.  
"Yes, I'm sure they would have it all taken care of. After they've thrown me over board!" Jack only laughed at her more.  
"Nonsense! Don't be ridiculous! Anamaria would have saved ye. She's smarter than the rest of them ye know. She'd 'ave kept ye an' made ye swab the deck! Now stop yer complainin' an' get down 'ere!"  
"Unless you've forgotten Captain, in which case I'll remind you, I can't swim!"  
"Well, if ye'd get down 'ere, I'd show ye how! Now let's move it. Just jump, I'll catch you, Pirate's honor." Gale gave him a dry look.  
"Some honor. I swear, Jack, if you let me drown a second time I will haunt you till the end of your days!" Jack waved his hands in dismissal.  
"Yes, yes. Good, good. Haunt me till I die, got it. Now could ye hurry it up?" Gale gave him one last glare, before she took off his coat and climbed over the railing till she was sitting on it. Feeling a little nervous, she looked down at Jack with uncertainty. When he waved his hands in the air impatiently she closed her eyes and covered her mouth before she slipped off the edge and plopped right into the ocean. Jack covered his head with his arms to protect his eyes from the water that splashed from the impact. Peeking through his arms, he looked warily at where she had submerged.  
"Well, that twas graceful." Shrugging, he dived in after her. It didn't take him long to find her and he brought her to the surface again. When Gale felt them both break the surface, she took a long gulp of air. Looking at Jack she noticed that he wasn't the least bit out of breath.  
"See? I told ye I'd catch ye, didn't I?" Gale looked at him blandly.  
"Diving in after I've already fallen hardly constitutes as actually catching me, Captain."  
"You didn't drown, did you?" Gale opened her mouth to correct him, but clamped it shut. He had her there. "Right. Now, let's begin. Pinch yer nose like this," Jack pinched his nose with his index finger and thumb to demonstrate. "an' take a deep breath an' hold it. When I say so, I want ye te close yer eyes." Once Gale had pinched her nose shut and held her breath, he told her to close her eyes and he slowly submerged them in the water. Once under, Jack opened his eyes and looked at her. Her hair was floating all around her in what seemed like thick, endless, ebony ribbons. He pulled her hand away from her nose. A few bubbles escaped before she quickly learned to hold the air in through her nose. After a few moments passed, he brought them to the surface again. When they emerged, Gale inhaled slowly and smiled slightly, eyes still closed. Jack looked at her and smiled, too. Her hair was sopping wet, clinging to her face and neck. Little droplets of water ran down her face and back into the sea. Gale shivered slightly and finally opened her eyes.  
"It's cold." Jack chuckled.  
"Of course it is. Ye get used te it after a bit. Now, lay over me arms on yer stomach." Gale nodded and did as she was told. Jack put out both his arms in front of him and she laid herself over them, keeping her head above the water. "Now kick yer legs, but not too hard. I don't want any of the sea water in me eyes. At the same time, use yer arms as if they were the paddles on a boat. Like this," Jack instructed has he freed one arm to take hers and forced it into the motion he described. Placing his hand beneath her again he watched as she did as he said. When he saw that her motions were in synch enough and she had gotten the hang of it, he slowly started to move his hands out from under her.  
"Jack, don't let go of me, okay?" Jack smiled, but kept moving back slowly without her realizing it.  
"I'm not going anywhere, love." Eventually, Jack had backed a few feet away from her and she was swimming on her own. When she started moving along on her own Gale smiled.  
"You can let go now, Jack. I think I'm good." Jack couldn't help the laughter that threatened to spill over his lips.  
"Lass, I haven't been holdin' ye up fer quite a bit now. Ye've been swimmin' on yer own few the past five minutes." Gale stopped paddling with her arms, and just kicked her feet beneath the water to keep herself up. Turning around, she saw Jack trying very hard to keep above water because he was laughing. Her first instinct was to scream, but she found is humor contagious and a smile spread to her lips.  
"Have I?" Jack nodded and Gale smiled wickedly. "Care to race, Captain?" Jack flashed her his charming smirk before he dived underneath the water. Gale squealed and tried to swim away, but Jack grabbed her ankle and pulled her under water with him. Luckily, she was able to take a quick breath of air before she went under. Jack shot up to the surface quickly, taking a quick gasp of air. Gale soon followed, laughter bubbling from her lips. Quickly spinning Gale around and wrapping her up in his arms, he pulled them both under. He let go of her when they were a few feet under and he swam a distance away from her. Gale opened her eyes and, after they adjusted to being under water, she chased after Jack. When he broke the surface, she was right behind him. The continued this game of tag for a while longer until it was beginning to get dark. By this time, they were out of breath, their muscles aching, and their cheeks hurt from all the laughter. They quickly composed themselves till they was only a short laugh here and there. Not wanting it to end just yet, they just floated there, staring at each other, smiles still plastered to their faces.  
"I've never had so much fun in my life. I feel so....so free, Jack. Is this what it feels like for you? Is this why you became a pirate?" Jack smiled at her curiosity. He gently brushed a few wet strands out of her face, cupping her cheeks in both his hands.  
"That's part of it, love." Jack watched a little droplet of water run down the bridge of her nose and stared in mild fascination as it rested on her lower lip. It quivered there for a few moments as if it would fall, but before it had the chance, Jack caught it with his lips. Gale opened her eyes in shock. The kiss was brief and fleeting, over before she had the time to register that he had indeed kissed her. He pulled back, but he didn't take his hands away from her face. Gale tried to form words to speak, but her mouth wasn't cooperating. The only thing she could seem to think about was his lips on hers. Even though, in reality, that hadn't been there first kiss, it felt like it was. She had wanted it and he had given it to her. That's what made it different from the rest. Gale shivered from the cold water, breaking the spell that they were trapped in. Clearing his throat, Jack took his hands away from her face.  
"Well, it's time we be gettin' out of 'ere an' dryin' off. I've got an extra shirt ye can wear till yer things dry." Gale only nodded dumbly, still slightly shocked from the unexpected kiss. They slowly made their way back over to the docks. Once aboard the ship, Gale went to go back down to the lower deck. When she noticed that Jack wasn't behind her she turned and looked at him.  
"Jack?" Jack turned at hearing his name. "Aren't you going to change?" Jack shook his head.  
"No, love. I'll jist stand up 'ere an' let the sea's winds dry me off. Unless," Jack's voice took on the teasing tone he usually used when flirting. Gale rolled her eyes. "Of course, ye'd like me te come down an' watch ye change?" Gale shook her head, but couldn't help but smile. He was charming in a way, but he wasn't going to get her to admit that. Jack watched her back as she walked below deck before turning around to gaze at the sea.  
It didn't take Gale long to find one of his extra shirts in the little desk next to his bed. She slowly peeled away all her wet clothing and slipped into the shirt. Compared to her cool skin, the shirt felt warm. Picking up all her discarded and wet clothing, she looked for somewhere to hang them so they would dry faster. After awhile, she found nothing and settled for spreading them out on the floor. Gale sat down on the bed and recalled the day's events so far, bringing a smile to her lips for the countless time that day. For once, they had not argued. She had actually had fun with him. The most fun she had had in a long time and she was exhausted. Lying down, she snuggled inside the covers and let herself drift to sleep, the smile never leaving her face.  
Gale awoke hours later, sometime around the late evening. She let out a long yawn while stretching before she sat up. Looking down, she saw Jack's coat laying over her. She smiled again. He must have brought it down while she was sleeping. Getting up, she wrapped herself up in it's thick, comforting, warmth once more before she made her way up to where she knew Jack was.  
She spotted Jack the instant she emerged from the stairwell. He was in his usual spot, staring out into the sea. he looked perfect and beautiful standing there with the hushed rays of sunset spilling around him, causing her to pause and stare in wonder. He wasn't handsome as most people would perceive the word to suggest. It was a more rugged handsomeness that he possessed. The untame, wild, freedom that was Jack Sparrow. He was meant for the sea and he belonged to it. She suddenly felt out of place and awkward. She briefly wondered if she would ever blend into this kind of lifestyle like he did. He made it seem so easy and natural. She could never measure up to him. He was everything her father had made him out to be.  
"Jack?" Gale asked, somewhat timidly. He gave no notion that he had hear her, but she knew that he had. She walked up to him nervously, stopping only a foot away from him. "Jack, I-I wanted to apologize for the way I've treated you lately. I've been so rude to you, and you don't deserve it." Jack shook his head and smiled.  
"No need fer that, lass. Ye've had it rough and besides that, I be a pirate. I didn't expect a well brought up lady such as yerself te like me immediately."  
"That's just it. You're everything I want to be, and I've been acting like you're the Devil himself." Jack smiled bitterly.  
"Ye don't want te be like me, lass. And the Devil isn't a bad analogy."  
"Then forgive me, for I have sinned. I've fallen to the darkest temptation of them all." Jack looked up at her sharply and was taken back by the conviction in her eyes and her voice. Not one to be caught unawares, he continued as if her words hadn't affected him.  
"And what would that be, love?" Jack asked, adding a little disbelief and disinterest to his tone to make it seem like he was not bothered by her sudden change in attitude.  
"Freedom." That word alone caused the Captain Jack Sparrow to go rigid from the tip of his tricorn hat to the tip of his weather worn boots. Looking her straight in the eye, he tried to figure out what was causing her to act this way. That one word made her seem so much more mature than when he had first took her aboard his ship. Maybe she was meant to be a pirate after all.  
After what seemed like eternity, Jack smiled at her. A slow, Cheshire cat smile like he knew something that she didn't. Chances are, he probably did, but she wasn't going to let that get underneath her skin. She smiled back, the same sly smile he hadn't given her, hoping to throw him off balance a little. It didn't work, even though she hadn't really expected it to. It was worth the try.  
"Come 'ere, lass. I want te show ye somethin'." Jack waved his hand at her, bidding her to come over as he had asked. She complied, closing the gap that was between them. Placing his hand on her shoulder, he shifted her till she was standing in front of him. Taking her hands in his, he placed them on the ship's wheel with his hands over hers. Turning his head, he whispered into her ear. "What do you feel, love? What do you see out there?" Gale gasped when she felt his hot breath waft over her ear, cheek, and neck. That and the coat had fallen open and she was beginning to feel a draft. Not to leave his question unanswered, she looked over and out to the sea. The sight left her breathless.  
It was beautiful. She finally realized why he stood here and stared for hours on end. The sea expanded for what seemed like forever. It was all around them and she realized for the first time that they had set sail. Tortuga was likely far behind them. Where were they going next? As soon as she asked herself that question she took it back. It didn't matter as long as it was on the sea. This was the freedom she had yearned for all those years. This was what her father had wanted her to see so badly. It wasn't plundering or looting. It wasn't drinking or swordplay. It was freedom. The ultimate freedom and the word suddenly became indescribable to her.  
"I see..." Gale began, but she found it hard to continue. Turning her head to look at Jack, she found herself staring into his dark, kohl- lined eyes. There faces were only an inch apart, their lips a breadth from touching. She felt her breath suddenly dissipate, her heart beating rapidly against her breast. Her lids lowered halfway as if she was in some sort of fever.  
"See what?" Jack asked, his breath washing over her lips, causing her knees to go weak. Almost as if he had sensed it, Jack wrapped one arm around her. He tore his gaze away from hers, nuzzling his face into the crook of her neck. He inhaled her scent deeply, forever committing the fragrance to memory. He let out a long breath slowly, the sweet hotness of it causing her breath to speed up. His hand slid down dangerously low, stopping at her hip line. His fingers splayed out and then closed into a fist, catching the material of the shirt and pulling it up, but not so far as to reveal what he wanted so desperately to touch at that moment. Bunching the gathered material and holding it with his wrist, he spread his finger's again as if he was going to pull it up even further. Gale's breath caught in her throat and the hand he had abandoned quickly grabbed hold of his and covered it. He looked back into her eyes and waited for her to speak.  
"I see who I am underneath this skin. I see everything I am capable of doing. I see my freedom stretched out before me in the form of endless waters. Freedom, Jack. Freedom is what I see." Jack smirked at her. Letting go of the material in his hands, he laced his fingers with her and held her to him tightly. Lowering his head, he watched as her eyes fluttered shut and his slowly did the same.  
"Ahem." Their moment was cut short by a member of his crew loudly and enthusiastically clears his throat. Jack looked up, making it apparent he did not appreciate being interrupted.  
"Mr. Gibbs? I trust ye be havin' a good reason te be botherin' me and the lass?" Jack asked while he pulled his hand away from Gale's and wrapped the coat around her so she was once more covered.  
"Aye, Captain. I do. There be a storm comin' straight fer the Black Pearl an' a very nasty storm it be." Gale felt Jack instantly tense up, but when she looked at him she couldn't read his hard expression.  
"Well, what are ye waitin' fer? Quit standin' around an' get 'er ready! There ain't a storm out there that ol' Pearl can't handle an' I'll be damned if I let it 'appen now." 


	9. Late againmy bad

11/21/03  
  
Hello everyone! I know I've taken a bit long to update (once again), but it's mainly   
  
because I've been busy with school (too much homework!! It's unceasing!!). When Thanksgiving   
  
break rolls around, I'll have time to punch out the next chapter. I promise that you'll have it   
  
by the end of that week or the beginning of the next. Either way, you'll have it soon. Since my  
  
life pretty much revolves around school anyway at this point in my life (not having a b/f and all  
  
..SINGLES RULE!!), I'll have nothing better to do. Thank you to all my reviewers, I'll reply to   
  
everyone who has reviewed in my next chapter. Thanks for all your support and advice. You're   
  
helping me to be a better writer. I appreciate everyone who has taken the time to review, it   
  
means so much to me. I can't wait to hear more from you after my next chapter.   
  
Well, I wish you luck in all your endeavors. Till we read and review again. Later.  
  
~Nightingale16 


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